Filled-bag-closing machine



Jan. 13, 1931. 4 c. s. THOMPSON ET AL 1,783,900

FILLED BAG CLOSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1931- c. s. THOMPSON ET AL 1,783,900

FILLED BAG CLOSING MACHINE Filed Dec. I 25 5 Sheets-Sheet 2v l K !1 6 J6- 760 2, fi ,2 I

0 Y J6 W g0 0 o :37 fi g I g g 1;ua14o u Jan. 13, 1931. c. s. THOMPSON 51' AL FILLED BAG CLOSING MACHINE 5 Sheets -Sheet s Filed Dec. 3 1925 IQN m A? m abtozueqi Jan. 13, 1931. c. s. THOMPSON ET AL FILLED BAG CLOSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 5, 1925 & S

Jan. 13, 1931. c. s. THOMPSON ETAL FILLED BAG CLOSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fild Dec 3 1925 gwwntoz Quanta Patented Jan. 13, 1931 I CHARLES s; m mm mfwmimsgmm,Q1;tame), ILLIQNOIS', assrdnoas 'i o UNION. SPECIAL MACHINE oomrAmn orgcmcaeo, ILLINOIS, A oonroaa'rron or ILLINOIS rrLL n-BAG-onosms M'AoHmE i Application filed December 3, 1925. Serial No. 72.941.

Theinvention relates to new and useful improvements in filled bag closing machines, and more particularly to a machine'ofthis type wherein thefilled bag is conveyed to the stitching mechanism by acarrier which is free to run back and forth on supports therefor. i

An object ofthe invention is to provide a filled bag closingmaehine of the above type with nianuallycontrolled means for returning the carrier to its'initial or starting position. 7 V

A further object of the invention is to provide a filled bag closing machine of the above type wherein said returning means is yieldingly held in position to return the carrier and is manually moved to a position" to permit the free movement'of the carrier along the support therefor. v p y j A still further object of the invention isto provide a filled bag closing machine of the above type wherein the means for returning the carrier is moved so as to permit the carrier to run free by atreadle connection, which treadle connection is so-arranged thatthe supports for the carrier may bemoved up and down for adjusting the position'of the bag relative to the sew'inghea'd without any way disturbing the treadle connections. A; stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a filled bag closing machine of the above type'where'inthe means for returning'the carrier is so constructed thattheicare Inents rier may be returned at any point in its travel ahng the support therefor.

These and other objects obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

in the drawings which'show. by: way of illustration one embodiment of the inven- Figure 1 ma frontlvlew of afilled bag closing machine embodying the improve- Fig. 2 is an end view of'thefmachinefrom the left-hand side thereof as viewed in Fig.1 i

' Fig. '3 is a plan View of the' machine.

Fig.4 is a plan View of the carrier and the supports therefor, showing thecarrier in its forward .position with the returning rail in Will a full line position for the forward'move nent of tne carr1er,'and lndotted llne positlon for returning the C2llll8I,' also showing 1n dot ted lines the initial starting position of the carrier, and i Q I Fig. '5 is'la sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig.1.

"The invention 'is direetedbroadlyto a filled bag closing machine, preferably of the' column type, on which 'columnjis supported a sewing head and the operating means there" forgBeneath the sewing he'advare supports or ti'acksfo'r a carrier for the filled bag. These supports or tracks are mountedlQnfa supporting bracket which is likewise sup-f ported by'the column and is capable ofbeing adjusted vertically thereon. The carrier is free to roll along'the supports therefor. The supports-are preferably'provided with rollelzS at spaced distances, and the carrier is providedwith aflat plate resting on these rollers, and said carrier rollsbaek and forth on the rollers. Other rollers areprovided for pro venting the carrier from moving. laterally.

These supportingrollers form the track for so i the carrier." The tracks or supports for'thethird rail which extends the -fulllengthjo'f the tracks and is pivoted to the sup'portior the tracks at a point adjacent theinitial start: ing point of the carrier. I This third rail 18 swung on its pivot by means of aspring, and

the'spring andpivot are so arrangedthat the thirdrail moves in substantiallya horizontal plane. Mounted -on the under side I of the carrier is a bell crank carying' at one end thereof, a roller which bears against the side i of this m The other end-0t thebe l' crank is connected to a spring which in turn is connected to the carrier. This spring is lighter'than the spring which controls the third rail. This third rail is swung onits pivot against the tension of the spring by treadle control-ledmeans. VVhen' the opera- "tor steps-.:,on.the treadle,.thethird rail is shifted to a position which is substantially parallel with the tracks, and as a resulhthe rolleraon-thebell cran-k-ca-n'freely run along the third-rail? and the carrier can be freely 1 moved along the tracks. This is the position of the parts when the bag is-being stitched.

After the bag is stitched, the operator re-j leases the third rail, and the tension of the springonthe third rail will swing it on its pivotnto an inclined position relative to the theinvention is shown. as appliedwto a filled bag closingrmachineincluding a supporting base. l.p referably. mounted on rollers2, 2 and carrying an upright column 8.. Adjacent the upper endof the column there is an adjustable sleeve l carrying abracket 5 on which the sewing head is acapted to base cured. 'JIhe-sewingv head is operated by a suitable clutch mechanism 6' on which the clutchi's shifted by a'lever, 7,.andthis lever 7 is operated. by means of'a. cord or flexible connection 8-, connected atlthelower end to an arm-9 whichcan be depressed "by the foot of theoperator. This flexible cord Sruns overidlers 10 and 11 and is connected at 12 to. the upperend ofthe column. This provides a means for permitting the adjustment of the sleeve carrying the sewinghead up and down without in any way disturbing the treadle actuated means for operating the clutch.v The sleeve 4 is raisedand lowered by a shaft 13 which is (connected to a cross shaft, 14 operated by a handwheel 15. The sewingheadinthe present el nbodiment of the invention is operated bymeans of a motor 16 mounted on a collar 17 rigidlyattached to'the column 3. The belt from the motor runs over idlers 18, 18 andl9 on the wayto the-clutch mechanism 6, and this -action pen.

mits the sewing head'to be raised and loweredwithout inany wayinterfering with the actuating-mechanismfor, the sewing head. Also mounted on'the column 3 is another adjustable sleevej20, and a shaft 21' in turn actuated by the cross shaft 14: is for the purposeof raising and lowering th-islsleeve. tis'under: stood, of course, that the cross shaft 14 may be connected either to the vertical. shaft-13 or the vertical shaft 21. hlounted on this sleeve 20 are bracket arms 22 22 which carry channel iron supports 23 and 24. These channel iron supportsextend from one side of themachine to the other as shown in Fig-1 25 atthe-Tear' of the supports.

1 of thedrawingsQ Mounted to move back and forthon these supports is a carrier 25. The supports 23 and 24 are substantially horizontal, and each support is provided with spaced rollers 26, 26. These rollers are mountedlzon rods27 atthe endsof the channel ironisuppo'rtsiwhich serveto joinflsaid supports. The rollers intermediate the ends of the channel iron supports are carried by suitable supporting;bolts-indicated at 28 in Fig. l of'rthe drawings. The carrie'r 25 consists of anupper plate which is bent upwardly at is rigidly secured to aflower plate 29 and the plate 29'runs'baclr and forth on the rollers This plate andiadapted tobear against guide plates 31,

31 secured to the upper face of the channel iron. supports. 1

This column type of closing machine, so

far as described, forms no part of the present invention per se, butis shown, described and claimed in the co-pending applications of Charles S. Thompson-and William 13. Long,

Serial N o.- 591615, filed October, 28, 1922, and Serial Nohseieee, filed Mayic, 1922.

is freeto run back and forth on these rollers and the channel iron supports are-either horizontal, or substantially, so, and the sewing machine feed, is depended-upon to move the carrier asrthe mouth of the bag being closed is fedbythefeeding mechanism of the sewing head. 5 The track may be slightly inclined downwardly from right to left'as viewed in Fig. 1,, in order to aid in the free movement of the carrier by the stitching mechanism. 7

I Ina-machineof the above type, the carrier I The present, invention is directed partic ularly to the means for returning the carrier after the bag has been stitched. The bracket arms 22referred toabove, onwhich the chan-' nel iron supports are mounted, extend routwardly from the column, and on the ends thereofcarry supportingangle irons 22*,and

the channel irons are attached to these angle 7 irons. As clearly showninflligures 3 and 4: of the drawings, there is a third rail 32 which ispivotedatf33 tooneof the angle irons'22'1 This third rail lies between t-hechannel iron supports as clearly shown in Fig. 5. This third rail .32., is. likewise of angle iron .con-

struction." Pivotally'connect'ed to the lower part ofthe' carrier. at-34, is-a-bell crank lever 35.. Said bell crank-leverfiec-arries aroller 36'o n one end thereof." The other end .of'this bell crank. lever 'isconnected ,to. a spring 37 whichtin' turn is connected at 38t0 the under side of the plate 29 of the carrier '25. This extends from the point slightly to the right of the right-hand angle iron support 22 to a point adjacent the other angle iron support at the otherside of the machine.

A spring 38f is connected at 39 to the free end of the/third rail 32. The other end of this spring 38 is connected to the channel iron support 24. The spring 38"is of stronger tension than vthe spring, 37. The third rail 32 is swung on its pivot '33 against the tension ofthe spring 38 by treadle'controlled means whichincludes a lever arm 40 connected by a" link 41 to the third rail 32.

. When the treadle is depressed,this rail is closed is placed "on the carrier and the mouth of the bag placed beneath the presser foot of the sewing head; .When the sewing headis started by depressing the treadle controlling the clutch 6, the feedof the machine feeding the upper end of the bag will cause the car-' rier to slowly move along the channel iron supports therefon During this movement of the carrier, the treadle for shifting the third rail is held depressed so that the rail isheld in the position shown in Fig. 4. After the bag has been fully closed and removed from the carrier, itis desirable to move the carrier toits initial starting position. This is accomplished by the operator releasing the treadle so thatthe spring 38 will move the third rail to the inclinedposition shown in Fig. 4, that is, inclined relative to the path of travel of the carrier. The pressure of the third rail against the roller 36 will then cause the carrier to move to'the right, or to its in itial starting position." The reason for this is obvious. The pivot'for the bell-crank: is at the right of. the roller as viewedfrom the front of the machine. The p-ivotpoint of th bell c k .fi ed 0 "th 'r; d p

e ran is X n came 7 an 'rier and'the mouth thereof placed beneath therefore, the pressure of the spring 88 through the third rail against'the rollervwill force the carrier to the right 'or to its initial starting position. It will be apparent from v I the above that a returning'meansfor the'car rier is provided which'is operatedby stored r 2 power. When. the raillis; shifted b-y the .treadle the'spring is put under greater-ted sion and thus it i s thati power is'stor ed in the spring to be-utilized toforce the rail back to its inclined position and the forcing of the rail'back to its inclined 'positionutilizes' the stored power for returning the carrier to its loading position. A suitable stop, of course,

of the carrier ing position. I v

It I will be, apparent from the above description that manually controlled meanshas been provided for returning the carrier, andflthis manually controlled means can be put into operation at anyipoint in themovei ment of the carrier and will return it at once to its starting position. Thismanually controlled means does not retard the for: ward movement of the carrier in any way, whatever,-as when in thefull line position, through the; depressing of the treadle, itis parallelffwith the path'of travel. of the carrierj- ;The only way inwhich it could re- .rnay be provided for stopping the; movement when it reaches its initial -starttard thetravel isthe' friction of the pivotal mounting of the roller 36 which is {negligible.

'It has been'[stated 'above that the rail is moved by a lever arm 40." This lever arm 40 is fixed to a vertical shaft 42 which ismounted in a suitable bearing 43 carried I by the bracket arm 22. At the upper end of this shaft42 is an arm 44 on which is 'i V i mounted an idler 45.1 A cord or flexible connection 46. runs over this idler 1.45. It also runs over idlers'47 and 48 carried" by the sleeve20. One endof this'flexible cord 46 'isconnected at 49. to the collar 17. The

other end of this flexible cord is'connected to anarm 50 mounted on a treadle shaft 51 in the base 1 of the machine. This treadle shaft isoperated by affoottreadle 52. The

purpose of the idlers'45,- 47' and 48 is to per mit-the sleeve 20 to be movedup and: down without interfering with or disturbing the treadle connections for shifting. the third rail. The foot treadlel52 is so positioned that when depressed it will not only operate the third rail, butalso the clutch of the sewing head. The arm"9 is secured to the arm 50 by a bolt and isheld thereby in fixed position relative to said arm 50. By loosen-' iv ing the bolt the position of the arm canbe adjusted, "Thus it is that both the arms 50 andg'are depressedwhen the treadle 52 is depressed. The shifting oftheflarm 9 is'I-for the purpose; ofsecur'ing' the length: of the cables 8 and 4:64,. i

The bag to be closed: is placed on the can the presser ,foot ofthe sewinghead. The

foot treadle' is depressed, and thisjaccom plis'hesrtwo functions. It connects the sew-"i proper relative i the vbag is beingstitched. VV'hen 'the bag hasbeen "closed, the operator. releases the foot'treadle 'whichfjidisconnects "the sewing i headifromlthe" motor."v 'It also shifts'the third: rail to the inclined position shown in lgso that when=thefilled closed bagis lifted from the carrier, the carrier i-will-be' returned to -its initialstarting position;

This member. 32 hasbeen referred toias a third rail for the reason that the roller 36 runs along this rail during the movementof the carrier. Itlisnot'asupporting track, but'i t is arail on whicha' roller on the carrier runs. "Ihe'spring operating to move this third railto inclined position is the operating means for-returning the carrier to its starting or loading position. This spring is normally :active toreturn the carrier or hold the carrier at its loading position,and the return means is manually rendered'inactiveth-rough the treadle control. That is, when the treafdle-is depressed, the third :rail is moved to a position parallel with the path of travel of-thecarrier, and-will not, of course, exert any pressure -on the rail which tends'to return the carrier-to loadingposi- It will-be understood, of course, thatadjust'ment may bemade so that the treadle may be givena sufficient stroke to place the thirdfrail in an inclined position to the path oft ravel of the-carrier opposite from that shown in Fig. 4; during the forward movement of-thecarrier. If this third rail. is inclined even to aslightextent to the path of travel of the carrier when it moves forward,

it will aid in the forward movement of the carrier. By this arrangement, of course, the

' thirdrail" for returning the carrier is not only're'ndered inactive while the bag is being stitched, but is placed so as-t0 actually urge the carrier forward. c

It is obvious that minor changes in the details 'ofconstruction and the arrangement of the parts-may be made without departing from thespirit of-the invention as set forth inthe appended claims. c

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire tor secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. A filled bag closing: niachinexincluding a supportingframe,,a-support for a sewing head mounted on'sai'd'frame, a" carrier for a filled bag, supports on which s'ald' carrier may be freely movedby the feed' of the sewinghead during the stitching of the bag, meansfor retu'rningthe carrier to' starting or'loading'position, and ma-nual means for rendering said return 'means inactive' while thebag 1's berngmovedalong the support and stitched." n i 2. A filled bag'closing'machine including a supporting frame, 'a.-support-; for a sewing head mounted on 'sa-idframe, acarrier for a filled bag supports on which said carrier may be freely moved by the feed of the sewing head during the stitching of the bag,

spring means for normally returning the carrier to starting or loading: position, and

mes-e9 manually controlled means for rendering saidspring means inactive during the stitching-of the bag. I i 5 v A filled bags closing "machine including a supporting frame,-a support for a sewing head mounted on said frame, a carrier for means inactive during the forwardmovement of the carrier.

, 4. A; filled bag closing machine including.

asupporting frame, a support for asewing head mounted on said frame, a carrier for a filled bag, support-s on which said carrier freely moves duringthe stitching'of the bag, a rail mountedjon saidframqa roller yieldingly mounted on-the-carrier andadapted to bear against the sidev face of the rail, means for moving said rail; from azposition parallelwithjthe path of travel ofythe carrier to a position inclined thereto, whereby the rail operating on the roller onthe carrier will return the carrier tonormal starting position, and means for's'hifting said'rai-lto parallel position.

5. A'filledbag closing machine including a supporting frame, a support fora sewing head mounted on said frame, a carrier for afilled' bag, supportson which said carrier freely. moves during the stitching ofthe bag, a rail-mounted on said frame, a roller yieldingly mounted on the carrier and adapted to bear against the side face of therail, means for moving said rail froma position parallel with the path of travel of the carrierto a position inclined thereto, whereby the rail-operating on the roller on the carrier willreturn the, carrier to normal starting position, and means for shifting said rail to parallel position, said last-named means including a treadle.

:e. A filled bag closingmachine including asupporting frame, a support fora sewing head mount'ed on said frame, a carrier for a filled bag, supports onwhich said carrier freely moves during the stitching of the bag, .a'ra'il pivotallymounted on said: frame and adapted to swing in a horiz'ontal plane from a' position parallel to the path of travel of the carrier to a positioninclinedthereto, a

levg zr pivotallymountedf on the carrier, a roller mounted on said levera'nd adapted to "run along the face of said rail, a spring adaptedto hold the roller inlcontact with the rail, a spring. of greater tension for moving said railto inclined position, in which position the carrier is caused'to return to normalloadmg position, and treadlecontrolled means for moving saldrall agalnst thetensionof the spring to parallel relation i 60 a sleeve adjacent the upper end'of' said 7 head mountedon said V of the filled bag, meanswhereby stored power maybe utilized for returning the carrier to loadlng position, and treadle controlledmeans for renderingsaid stored power .re-

, turning means inactive, said treadle controlled means operating to store-power in said returning means. when the same is rendered inactive. I

8. A filled bag'closing machine including a supporting frame, a support for a sewing head mounted on said frame, a supporting bracket carried by the frame and vertically adjustable thereon, a carrier for a filled bag, supports carried bysaid bracket on which said carrier freely moves during the stitching :of the filled bag, a rail pivotally mounted on csaid bracket and adapted to swing in a horizontal plane from a position parallel with the path of travel of the carrier to a positioninclined thereto, a roller yieldingly mounted V vertically adjustablethereon, a carrier for a filled bag mounted on said bracket and mov able back andfortlibeneath the sewing head, means for normally returning said carrier to 7 initial starting position, treadle controlled meansforloperating said clutch for the sew ing head, and treadle controlled means forrendering said return means forthe carrier inactiveduring the stitching of the bag, said treadle controlled means for the clutch and said treadle controlled means for the carrier being associated whereby the operation of the V clutch to start the sewing head will render the return means for'the carrier inactive,

both the treadle controlled means for the clutch and the treadle controlled means for carrier including dethe return means for the vices whereby either the sewing head orthe carrier may be raised and lowered relativev to each other without disturbing the treadle connections In testimo tures.

WILLIAM B, LONG. I

onthe carrier and adapted to run along the vertical. face of said rail,a spring for shiftr ing said rail to inclined position, and treadle controlled means for moving the rail to paral lel position, said treadle controlled means l 7 including devices which permit the bracket to be raised or lowered without disturbing c theconnections' to the treadle. l

'9, A filled bag closing machine including a supporting base, a column carriedthereby, a sleeve adjacent the upper endof said column, a support for a sewing head carried on said'sleeve, operating means for the sewing head including aclutch mounted on said sleeve, a bracket mounted on said column and vertically adjustable thereon, a carrier for a filled bag mounted on said bracket and movableback and" forth beneath the sewing hea d means for normally returning said 7, 7 carrier "to initial starting position, treadle controlled means for operating said clutch 50' for the sewing head, and treadlecontrolled means for rendering'said return means for the carrier inactive during the stitchingof the bag, said treadle controlled meansfor the r a clutch and said treadle controlled-means for the carrier being asociated whereby the operation of the clutch to start the sewing head will render the return means for-the carrier inactive.

10. A filled bag closing machine including 7 a supportingbase, a column carried thereby,

' column, a support for a sewing head carried on said sleeve, operating means'for the sewing head including a clutchmounted on said sleeve, a bracket mounted on said column and oHARiJEs s. rnonrsoN. i

y whereof we aflix oursigna- 

